Quick-firing gun



June 23, 1925.

N. E. METHLIN QUICK FIRING GUN Filed Jan, 3. 1925 6 Shee ts-Sheet T1June 23, 1925.

N. E. METHLIN QUICK FIR[NG GUN Filed Jan. 5, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 June23, 1925.

N. E. METHLIN QUICK FIRING GUN Filed Jan. 5, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet '5 Wmw(Lt/BMW? June 23, 1925. 3,543,262

N. E. METHLIN I QUICK FIRING GUN Filed Jan 5, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 is Ec J\ E 1 z A 5H f 1 A c B /V ,1

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June 23, 1925.

N. E. METHLIN QUICK FIRING GUN Filed Jan. 5, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Wsectional v40 device illustrated in Figure 5.

NICOLAS EMILIEN METHLIN, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO CHJN'EIDER &CIE., OI PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINTSTOGK COMPANY OF FRANCE. I

QUICK-FIRING eon.

Application filed Januarya, 1925. Serial No. 429.

To all-whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, NICOLAS EMILIEN METHLIN, a citizen of the Republicof France, resident of Paris, France, have invented new and usefulImprovements 1n or Relating to Quick-Firing Guns, which is fully setforth in the following specification.

This invention relates to a device more particularly applicable to smallcalibre guns recoiling on a cradle, and which ensures the cooling andprovides for the expansion of the barrels.

Various forms of construction of the invention are illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectionalplan of a part ofa" gun constructed according to thednvention, thesection being taken along the line 1-1 m Figure 2, which is across-section along the line '2-2 in Figure 1. Figure 3 is acrosssection along the axis of the trunnions of the cradle, and alongthe line 3 -3111 Flgure 1.

Figures 4 to 9 illustrate another embodiment of the invention applied tocon ugated guns which are so mounted that the energy of recoil of one ofthe gun barrels 1s utilized to assist the running out of the other, and

vice versa, Figure. 4 being atop plan view partly in section; Figure 5is asectional elevation taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4; Figure Sis alongitudinal sectional elevation along the line 66 of Figure 5; Figure 71s .35 a sectional elevation taken on the line 7 7 of Figure '5'; Figure8 is an analogous sectional View showing the members in another work ingposition, and Figure 9 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of theReferring to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, Ais the barrel in which the boreof the gun is directly made. This barrel carries, to guide it in thecradle B, a sleeve C,,for example screwed on to it at 0-, as is shown inFigure 1, and enclosing without clearance longitudinal ribs A,formingpro ections upon the front parts of the-barrel. In practice, thesaid ribs will be preferably formed on The sleeve C is externallyrovided with vertically projecting ribs 6 which are a hoopa, which maybemade of a metal.

guided with practically 'no lateral or hori zontal clearance, but with acertain amount of vertical clearance y in corresponding grooves b in thecradle B, and with horizontally projecting ribs 0? guided in the grooves.11 in the cradle without vertical clearance,

but with a. suitableamount of horizontal clearance. The chambers formedbetween the consecutive ribs A and the wall of the covering sleeve C areput into communication with each other by the orifices a pierced in theribs; this allows the air or cooling fluid to circulate throughout allthe chambers. This air or cooling fluid is forced through the pipe Dleading in at a point in the back part of the cradle B, and the mouth atof which is always in communication with the inside of one of thesechambers, for which purpose ports 0 are provided in'the covering sleeve.v

Owing to this cooling, combined with the expansion of the guncommunicated to a covering sleeve rationally guided, .a perfect idanceis permanently ensured, any play in a vertical direction and in ahorlzontal direction being practically suppressed and only taking placebetween the guiding ribs in a radial as at a. lifting or dropping of thebarrel is prevented by the ribs 0 while the ribs G prevent anytransverse displacement. I Referring to Figures 4 to 9 which illus-vtrate an example of the application of the invention, to a group ofconjugated us where the energy of the recoil of one o the gun barrels isutilized. to assist the running out of the other, and vice versa, thealternating movements in opposite directions of the two barrels, duringrecoil and running out, or the return to battery, are made use of tocontrol continuously a rotary member which transmits its movement to thecommon shaft of two fans which deliver the cooling fluid. As in thepreceding example, each of the barrels A is provided on'its front partwith v a hoop -a, having radial ribs A pierced by orifices a and overwhich is fitted without clearance a covering sleeve C provided withvertical guiding ribs C and horizontal guiding ribs 0 sliding incorresponding grooves in'the cradle B. Above each gun is installed a fanE for forcing air or a cooling fluid through the ports 0 in thecorresponding cover ng sleeve. The fans E are parted to the shaft I. Forthis end of the arm L, the inclined right has completed its movement ofrunkeyed'to, a common shaft F provided'with a driving member. such asworm wheel G.

This wheel G is driven by a worm H keyed to a shaft I the axis of whichis parallel to the axes of the conjugated guns and which turns inbearings B B formed on the cradle B which is common to thetwo guns.

During firing a movement of rotation is impurpose, two

helicoidal grooves I I are cut in this shaft extending helicoidally fromeach other. In

one of the grooves I engages a tenon j projecting radially inside a ringJ sleeved upon the said shaft I, and which may also turn,

without longitudinal displacement, in a sleeve C attached to thecovering tube 0,

A groove is is formed, along a generating line, upon a shaft K turningin bearings provided on the cradle B, and the axis of which is parallelto that of the shaft I and arranged in the same vertical plane as thisaxis. In this groove is guided, by a cotter,

a bent lever L-M the end of one of the branches L of which can pressagainst an inclined plane B provided on the cradle B3 The arm M of thelever engages by means of its knob shaped end m, in a sliding bar Nmovable radially with regard to the shaft I in a guideway-- in thecovering tube 0. According to the position which each of the two bentlevers IJ+M occupies during the operation, the sliding bar N enters orescapes from a notch 7' provided in the corresponding ring J.

When .one of the uns, for example the one .on the left (Fig. 5) recoils,the corresponding ring I, prevented from'turning by the sliding bar N,compels the shaft I by means of its catch to rotate. I

During this time, the end of the arm IQ of the bent lever correspondingto the other gun arrives upon the rear inclined plane B (Fig. '7), sothat the corresponding sliding bar N is disengaged from the notch y'which enables thev corresponding ring J to turn with the shaft I. But assoon as the lever Ill-M of the left hand gun strikes, with the lane B onthe left, the corresponding sli ing bar or bolt N is disengaged from thenotch 5 (Fig. 9) at the sametime the sliding bar of the gun on the rightdueto the rotarymoyement imparted by the shaft K to the corrgespondinglever L.M, engages in the corresponding notch.

The gun on the left has then completed its movement of recoil while thegun on the ningout. As soon as the gun on the right recoils', a rotarymovement, in -the same direction as before, is imparted to the shaft I,owing tothe engagement of the groove I with, the catch j'of the gun onthe right, which catch is then fixed. At t and of the recoil of the gunon the right, t e arm L of sponding sliding'bar N to gun and sleeve,said hoolrli being lever LM climbs up the corresponding which causes thecorrethe, rear incline B,

the same timeas the sliding b r N of the gun on the left engages. Asubstantially continuous movement of rotation of the shaft I is thusproduced, and, consequently, through the transmission I-IG the'continuous rotation of the shaft F of the fans. Having now particularlydescribed and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in whatmanner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is bereleased, at

1. A rapid firing gun recoiling in a cradle I and characterized by thefeature that the barrel comprises, for its guiding in the cradle, asleeve, enclosin without clearance longitudinal ribs, projectingexternally upon the front part of the barrel, the said sleeve being inturn externally rovided with vertically projecting ribs, fitting withoutany lateral or horizontal clearance, but with a certain amount ofvertical clearance, in corresponding grooves, and horizontal ribsfitting without any vertical clearance, but with horizontal clearance inother grooves in the said cradle, the said first mentioned ribs beingpierced by orifices to allow the circulation of air or any other coolingfluid forced into one of the chambers formed between two adjoining ribsand the wall of the covering sleeve, the delivery being made a pipeopening into the cradle. 1

form of construction of the rapid firing gun as claimed in claim 1,wherein the cooling ribs are formed upon a hoop made of a metal which isa'good conductor oil 1 heat, such as aluminium or an aluminium a o Adevice of the class described comprising a cradle provided withhorizontal and vertical grooves, slidably engaging I said, grooves, thevertical ribs having vertical clearance and the horizontal ribs havinghorizontal clearance in said grooves, a gun secured to said sleeve, ahoop surrounding said gun-and provided with radially extending coolingmembers having engagement with said sleeve, and means for admitting the'coolin medium to the spaces formed between sai ribs.

4. Ordnance cradle, a sleeve provided with horizontal and vertical ribsslidably mounted in said cradle, a gun rigidly connected to said sleeve,a cooling hoop. disposed between said rovided with a plurality of radiaexten ing and apertured cooling members having enga ment with thesleeve, and means for supp ing a cooling medium to the spaces betweenthe hoop and sleeve for cooling said gun.

. 5. Ordnance apparatus comprising a hoop provided with radial-ribssurrounda sleeve having ribs apparatus comprising a agun,.

in engagement therewith and having horizontally and vertically disposedguide members and a cradle provided with grooves slidably engaged bysaid members, the horizontal members being adapted to prevent lifting ordropping of the gun and the vertical members being adapted to preventtransverse displacement of the un.

6. A device of the class iscribed comprising a gun, a hoop provided withradially.

extending ribs surrounding the gun, said hoop being formed out of metalwhich is a good conductor of heat, such as aluminum, a sleevesurrounding said ribs and having engagement with the extremitiesthereof, a cradle surrounding said sleeve, means carried by said sleevefor guiding the gun in its recoil in said cradle, and a port in thecradle for admitting a cooling medium between the hoop and sleeve.

7 In combination with a pair of alternating recoiling gun barrels,rotary means for supplying a cooling medium to said barrels and meansutilizing the recoil energy of the barrels for actuating said rotarymeans.

8. Ordnance apparatus comprising, in combination, conjugated gunbarrels, a slide for said barrels, means for employing the energy ofrecoil of one barrel for running out the other barrel, rotary means forpositively supplying a cooling medium to said barrels, and meansenergized by the recoil of said barrels for actuating said rotary means.

9. Ordnance apparatus comprising, in combination, conjugated un barrels,aslide for. said barrels, means %or employing the energy of recoil ofone barrel for running out the other barrel, rotary means including afan for supplying a cooling medium to said guns, and means utilizing therecoil energy of the guns for rotating said fan.

10. A device of the class described comprising, in combination with acradle, a pair of guns supported thereby, and means for employing theenergy of recoil to one of said guns for running out the other of saidguns, a hoop surrounding each of said guns, a sleeve interposed betweeneach of said hoops and said cradle, a fan for each of the guns, andmeans actuated by the recoil of said guns for rotating said fans wherebya cooling medium is supplied to the guns.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

NICOLAS EMILIEN METHLIN.

